A plume of smoke rising above Gaza City during an Israeli strike. AFP
According to the office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an Israeli delegation headed by Minister Ron Dermer will depart for Egypt as early as Monday for the negotiations, which will be held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
An Israeli government spokesperson denied the existence of a ceasefire in Gaza, describing the situation instead as a "temporary pause" of some airstrikes.
The spokesperson claimed that the Israeli army remains capable of continuing its operations in Gaza for what she described as "defensive purposes."
On the other hand, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced on Sunday that US envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ron Dermer will not participate in Monday's negotiations in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh.
Earlier reports had stated that Witkoff and Kushner would travel to Egypt to participate in the talks on Monday.
The Monday negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh would include participants representing the three mediators: Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
According to news reports, analysts have expressed cautious optimism about the outcomes of these talks, given the numerous obstacles still standing in the way of an agreement.
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